Training Day 12: Don't Give Up

Now is when it gets easy to give up..newness of running is over, not losing much weight, wishing I was progressing faster by now, winter has decided to return making it harder to get up in the mornings in the cold (and snow yesterday..really!?) So, it is a conscious effort to remind myself of all the great things that will come out of this when I push myself to fit running into my day. I will feel that amazing sense of having accomplished something hard in my day. Each day I am getting stronger, although it doesn't seem like it sometimes. I am buring calories, exercising my heart, and getting time alone to think and process my day as I run out the stresses I have dealt with. An added motivator to get out the door has been my kids. They actually ask to go to the gym with me! They like the kids room so that is great when I want to sleep in another hour and go after school instead. I have also tried a new way to keep myself from getting bored....sensory overload! I watched TV on captions mode while I played my Ipod to some pumping music...found my minutes of running went a little faster and kept me distracted from my own sweating and redness. ( My face gets so red despite the heartmonitor telling me I am not too high..I don't know). So, after listening to some great music and getting some news in at the same time, I was able to run/walk 3 min/1 or 2 min. for 45 minutes! (Just started weight watchers and turns out that is 9 activity points! Whoo hoo!) It was hard some times but I kept imagining myself running that 5K or running with a friend along a street chatting as we jog, or running around Block Island in the summer. This weekend I went to the city with some of my best girlfriends and there had been  a half marathon that morning. I saw runners coming back to the hotel wearing their medals and thought, "I want that to be me!" One of these days..you never know! Looking forward to a new opportunity to enjoy the outside this spring and summer...and becoming a runner!